Answering-board.



D. SULLIVAN.

ANSWERING BIOARD. APPLICATION men mmze. n9|a.

1,277,152. Pzitented Aug. 27, 1918.

Inventov:

DANIEL 'sUtLI'vAN, on ST. routs, rrrssouii'r.

ANSWERING-BOARD.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 27, 1918.

Application filed January 28, 1918. SerialNo. 214,081

- Toall whom itmag concern: v I

Be it known that ,I, DANIEL SULLIVAN, a citizen of the United States, residing, at the city of St.- Louis, in the State ofMissouri,

have invented certain new anduseful, Improvements in Answering-Boards, of which the following-is a specification. ,7 I

This invention is a new answering board and apparatus for use in connection therewith to obtain the answer. 7

The board contains or bearsthose features that are common to such articles, viz., the

letters ofthealphabet and the ordinal numbers beginning with zero and ending with nine, and the words Yes, No, and .Good bye; but the same are arranged in a more convenient and practical formthan on other old and well known boards of this kind, the arrangement of the .present board being such as to facilitate the reading of the indications by theniovable table.

Besides this the present board bears two pairs of mystical symbols, viz., one pair of sunburstsand another pair of winged worlds, although other symbols may be used or the number of each may be varied.

In the use of the said board any arbitrar signification desired may be attached to the said four mystical symbols, or from their appearance allegorical interpretations may be deduced.

One especial advantage of the present invention is that an indicating table is provided with a plurality of pointers instead of only one as has heretofore been common, and another especial advantage of thesaid table is that its central spindle or foot is convex on its bottom, as are also the plurality of feet respectively provided for alternative use in lieu of the said central spindle or foot.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, in which like numbers of reference denote like parts wherever they occur,

Figure l is a perspective view of the operative surface of this board, the said view showing also the movable table or indicator at rest thereon at about the center;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the said indicator;

Fig. 3 is 'a sectional view on the line 8-3 in Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows and showing also in dotted lines the position of the central spindle or foot when the same is in place;

Fig.4: is aside elevation ofone of the pointers detached from the indicator, Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the central spindle c e F g. 6 is a side elevation of one of the plu rality of feet; and v p Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the pointers. I v f The board 1 is placed on the laps of two persons, preferably a lady and a gentleman, ilzhe ends rather than the sides resting in their aps.

The indicator 2 is then placed at any point upon the operative surface ofthe board 1,

generally about its center.

This indicator may be equipped uponits underneath side either with the central spindle or foot 3, or with a pluralityof feet 4,.

the studs 5 of which are iuserted inv the nessnot to fall out.

The bottom of spindle 3 is convex at 9 and the bottom of each foot 4 is convex at 10. These convex parts greatly facilitate the movement of the indicator 2, making the same noticeably more responsive to the impulses that cause its movement as compared to' other similar devices.

The bottom of feet 3 and 4c is tipped with felt 11 and 12 respectively to prevent scratching of board 1, the operative surface of which is preferably polished.

The pointers 13 are attachable to the indicator 2, preferably by means of the jaws- 14, which is simple and convenient, but other means may be used.

The advantage of the said pointers over existing indicator tables of this kind is that there are two such pointers, so that either person of the pair using this apparatus can see what is indicated by the indicator, and moreover that the pointer directly reaches to the letter, number, word, or symbol imprinted upon the surface of board 1, and furthermore thatit can easily be seen what it is to which such pointer points, it being more or less difficult with such apparatus now in common use to see exactly what is table,

sockets '6 in the underneath side of table In the use of the indicator 2 the-little fingers of each hand are placed upon the shoulders 15 and the thumbs caused to touch at approximately the intermediate spaces be-i tween the same, while the first, second and third fingers of eachhand lightly touch the top of indicator 2, the contact of the little fingers and thumbs being also-very light.

As is customary in this class of apparatuses the indicator 2 moves over the surface of board 1 as a result of the impulses that indicator 2 receives and the said movements result in one or the other of the pointers 13' indicating letters in succession that may.

spell a message, or words, or numbers, or a symbol for the same purpose. Some people get more out of these boards than others."

Therecesses 16 are not only ornamental but convenient for receiving the jaws '14; of i pointers 13 and also the little fingers of the operators. I V

The arrangement of theprinte'd matter uponthe surface of board 1 with a clear space in the center and the characters from which the answer is? derived adjacent to its margin, makes it easier for bothoperators to see exactly what is indicated by the indic ator 2.

Having thus described this invention, I hereby reserve the benefit of all changes in form, arrangement, order, or use of parts, as it is evident that many minor changes may bemade therein without departing from the character described adapted to travel freely over the surface of the table, consisting of a disk having diametric recesses ill lts periph cry, pointers secured in' said recesses-andprojecting beyond the peripheryofthe disk,

a support projecting from the under face of the dlsk; said recesses functioningto'd 'rect the position of the hands of the operator on the disk whereby the directionof the pointers is always Visible.

8. Anindicator tableoi the character described having a pair of recesses in its periphery, and pointers located respectively inthe said recesses, the said pointers being each provided with a jaw adapted to grip the said disk.

4. An indicator table-of the character described having a pointer provided with a jaw, which is adaptedto gripthebody of the said table. I

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

DANIEL SULLIVAN.

Copies of this patent may-be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner offlPatents Washington, D. 0. 

